Browns restructure Watson deal, agree with Pocic Norse ride again, a KU deja vu for Howard
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Browns shifted some of the money they owe Deshaun Watson and started spending it on players to help him.
The Browns restructured the quarterback’s recordsetting $230 million contract to create salary-cap space early Monday ahead of NFL free agency, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
Then, coming off a disappointing 7-10 season, Cleveland began addressing needs by agreeing to threeyear contracts with center Ethan Pocic and defensive end Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, said the person who has direct knowledge of the team’s plans.
As for Watson, the Browns always have had the ability to convert his base salary ($46 million in 2023) to a signing bonus and created $36 million of room, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team is not publicly disclosing any information.
Teams are permitted to reach agreements with free agents for two days before signings can become official starting Wednesday.
The Browns began patching up a defensive line with numerous holes by agreeing with pass rushing end Okoronkwo on a three-year contract. Okoronkwo’s deal is worth $19 million and includes $12.5 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network.
Cleveland needed another end to pair with All-Pro Myles Garrett. Jadeveon Clowney filled that role the past two seasons, but the Browns have no desire to bring him back after a down season which ended with him criticizing the team and being sent home before the finale in Pittsburgh.
The 6-foot-1, 253-pound Okoronkwo spent three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams before going to Houston. The 27-yearold had a career-best five sacks for the Texans last season.
Another priority was re-signing center Ethan Pocic, and the Browns locked the 27-year-old up by agreeing to bring him back on a three-year deal,
Pocic had a strong 2022 season with the Browns, who were in a bind at center after they released veteran JC Tretter and projected starter Nick Harris suffered a season-ending knee injury in the exhibition opener.
Pocic stepped in and anchored Cleveland’s solid line, which includes All-Pro left guard Joel Bitonio and steady right tackle Jack Conklin, who signed a four-year, $60 million extension in December.
Watson’s restructuring was expected because it was the easiest way for the Browns to clear space after being roughly $14 million over the salary cap. General manager Andrew Berry recently said the restructuring of Watson’s deal was “on the table.”
Berry had previously reworked kick returner Jakeem
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Northern Kentucky coach Darrin Horn might be looking forward to his team’s NCAA Tournament appearance even more than his players.
The Norse won their fourth Horizon League championship since 2016-17 but will play in March Madness for the first time since 2019. They also won the league title in 2020, but there was no NCAA Tournament that year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
That denied Horn a chance to lead his first NKU squad in the Big Dance, which makes this berth a bit more special. Especially after the Norse let an opportunity slip away in last year’s Horizon Tournament.
“We kind of feel like we had one taken from us literally, where you qualify for the tournament and then the tournament just doesn’t happen,” Horn said in a phone interview. “So, to finally punch your ticket and know that there’s going to be games and you’re going to be a part of the process, that’s really exciting.”
The No. 16 seed Norse (22-12) will face Midwest top seed Houston on Thursday night in Birmingham, Alabama. NKU features the nation’s No. 27 defense (63.6 points allowed per game) and the No. 42 scorer in junior guard Marques Warrick (19.1 points).
DEJA VU Howard’s last NCAA Tournament appearance in 1992 was a 100-67 loss to Midwest top seed Kansas. Back then, Kenneth Blakeney was a 20-year-old Duke sophomore on a Blue Devils squad that repeated as national champions.
Blakeney now coaches Howard and will lead the No. 16 seed Bison (22-12) against the defending national champion and top-seeded Jayhawks again, this time in a West Region firstround game. Howard topped Norfolk State 65-64 for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament championship, capping a remarkable turnaround from 4-29 in Blakeney’s debut season in 2019-20 to their first regular-season and tournament titles since that last trip to the Big Dance.
“To represent Howard University is a big honor for me,” said Blakeney, a Washington, D.C., native, via email. “I’m humble to be a mentor at a great university. Kansas is a national, traditional and historic program. I’m excited.”
The D.C. school is one of two historically Black colleges and universities in the tournament. Texas Southern won the Southwestern Athletic Conference title and will face Fairleigh Dickinson in a matchup of No. 16 seeds in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.
CHARMED EXISTENCE
It’s been quite a year for West Virginia coach Bob Huggins.
Huggins was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September. He became the winningest